CentrePort Canada is North America’s largest inland port, offering 20,000 acres of high-quality, affordable industrial land and unique access to tri-modal transportation, including three Class I railways (Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and BNSF Railway), a 24/7 global air cargo airport and an international trucking hub.

Recently Imperial Seed broke ground on its new agricultural hub at CentrePort Canada – an expanded 20-acre site which will include a seed processing plant, seed lab, office space and significant warehouse space. The new $8-million operation – which will include facilities of 30,000 and 15,000 square feet – will allow Imperial Seed to double its current seed processing capacity. The Manitoba-based company is developing 10 of its 20 acres to start and anticipates their staff doubling as the operation grows over time.

In speaking to the president of Imperial Seed, Kurt Shmon, where once their location in the industrial park on Arlington Street was on the outskirts of Winnipeg, it almost felt as being downtown.

“Our new location will allow us to expand and better service our customers,” said Shmon. “It is quite exciting to be part of CentrePort’s development and the opportunities for us to expand are huge. We are very excited about our new home.”

He says the transportation options at CentrePort, its proximity to a strong labour market and well-established connections to seed growers across Western Canada, makes the inland port a perfect location for expansion. “This is exciting for our industry and exciting for CentrePort. It gives us access to high-quality logistical resources but also keeps us close to our rural roots.”

Agriculture minister Ralph Eichler says this is a milestone for Imperial Seed and says the province is proud to be a part of their ongoing success in Manitoba. “The company’s plans for expanded capacity, new jobs and other improvements at CentrePort represent the growth and opportunity we all see in the agriculture sector and Manitoba’s economy as a whole,” said Eichler. It is so good to see the cooperation between business, government, municipalities, and local people. The R.M. of Rosser reeve Frances Smee says the council is happy that it is a local Manitoba company to be the first to sign a development agreement with the R.M. under the new planning bylaws in the Rosser CentrePort area.

“The positive attitude displayed by Imperial Seed, and Mr. Shmon in particular, made our negotiations with the company a pleasure. We are very pleased to welcome Imperial Seed to Rosser,” says reeve Smee.

Imperial Seed, which expects to open its new agricultural hub in 2017, is a forage and turf seed company that works with Western Canadian farmers and seed growers to process seeds for distribution to domestic and international markets including the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.

Rene Freudenberger, managing director of Feldsaaten Freudenberger GmbH & Co. KG, located in Krefled, Germany says it is indeed a pleasure to work with Imperial Seeds and to do business with them in Germany.

Freudenberger says in an interview he normally comes to Manitoba at least once year to see how things are going and especially to see how the crop is doing.

“I’m happy to coincide my trip this year with the beginning of an expansion of a company we like doing business with.” The new hub at CentrePort will also include demonstration plots of seed varieties for the company’s retail program.

“These plots will be used to showcase our varieties as well as a screening process ensuring winter hardiness and improved agronomic performance for our climatic conditions,” Shmon said. “We supply western Canada forage and turf seed through a retail program as we have dealers set up across the west marketing our seeds to end use producers.”

Imperial Seed is the latest to announce a new facility at CentrePort, which has welcomed 46 new companies that have either built or are building new operations on approximately 270 acres, representing more than $250 million in new capital investment.

“One of the benefits of our inland port is it provides the transportation and location assets that are needed by agricultural industries – industries that are at the very heart of Manitoba’s economy,” said Diane Gray, president and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc. “We are thrilled Imperial Seed has chosen CentrePort as its site of the future.” •

— By Harry Siemens